Come and be inspired by UCLA Women's Gymnasts - with 5 Olympians at UCLA, including Beijing Olympics' Silver Medallist, Sam Peszek, this Sunday, March 16, 2014, at 2pm at Pauley Pavillion

Watching UCLA women gymnasts in action at UCLA's Pauley Pavillion at their last meet against Stanford was like being at the Olympics at a fraction of the cost :)  After all, UCLA has 5 Olympians on their team, including Sam Peszek, who won the silver medal at Beijing Olympics.  If you want to learn more about how demanding training for Olympics was while doing regular high school (instead of homeschooling as so many top gymnasts and ballerinas do), here's a three-part youtube series to see:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hP3cMXChaxc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XvW44Y96Fws
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYCedLD0mU0

We saw a floor routine by Sydney Sawa that was judged a perfect 10!  The UCLA Head Coach, Ms. Kondo, was a former professional ballerina!  We also saw a special end of the meet performance by an aerialist who happened to be born without legs which was awe-inspiring indeed.

Learn  more about the Ms. Val here and her transition from being a ballerina to coaching gymnastics:
http://www.gymnastike.org/coverage/234782-UCLA-Gymnastics/video/175293-Valorie-Kondos-Field-From-Ballerina-to-Head Coach
http://dailybruin.com/2010/10/14/gymnastics_coach_valorie_kondos_field_took_john_woodens_teachings_from_the_court_to_the_mat/

You have to watch these videos to see how amazingly strong the gymnasts are, in a completely different way that lithe ballerinas are very strong.   These are two perfect 10 routines :) from UCLA this season on youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SkNQ6nhUiSM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Gkgf4BNZSU
(then see her team-mates imitate Sydney Sawa here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S79o97qbclw)

So, we are going again to see UCLA's final home meet this Sunday, March 16, compete against two other teams, Utah State and Bowling Green, in a tri-meet.  UCLA is now ranked 7th and will go on to the NCAA championships.  Gymnasts are also nationally ranked for their best apparatus. "Five Bruin gymnasts are ranked this week - Olivia Courtney (No. 9 on vault), Sophina DeJesus (No. 11 on bars), Samantha Peszek (No. 5 on beam, No. 16 on bars), Danusia Francis (No. 2 on beam), and Sydney Sawa (No. 6 on floor)."  Read more at:  http://www.uclabruins.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=30500&ATCLID=209434383

You might even catch sight of UCLA's team manager, the London 2012 Olympic gold medalist and UCLA freshman Jordyn Wieber, who has just turned professional last year and is not eligible to compete for UCLA, but she still trains privately.  Read more at:  http://today.ucla.edu/portal/ut/q-a-olympic-gymnastics-champion-250038.aspx

Here's a youtube of a conversation between two Olympians, Sam Peszek interviewing Jordynn Wieber at; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h3V1F1EHE_Q&feature=youtu.be

If you have never been to a women's gymnastics meet, it is run in the same order as at the Olympics. There is usually a routine going on on some apparatus for each team.  Yet, it is not confusing as the scores for each team is announced just before their next routine.  You might catch a perfect performance, and you will certainly see falls and nerves, and every gymnast doing their best for their team.  But it is always exciting and inspiring.

Last time, we wore blue to cheer UCLA.   This Sunday, it is a Bruin Blackout!  UCLA will be wearing black leotards for the first time in almost 10 years, and fans are encouraged to wear BLACK this time.

If you would like to join my group's fieldtrip to see the UCLA women gymnasts, please email me at reallykf@gmail.com as we can accommodate more people in my group and you will be pleased you did.  I am hoping to get more UCLA poms poms and might have some posters or folders as souvenirs.

If you are bringing younger children, children two and under do not need tickets.  While the meet is going on, you can also leave your seats and walk around, get snacks (or bring your own), use the restrooms, or go and take photos with the cut-outs of the gymnasts.  If you are coming to UCLA for the first time, go to the fee-free Fowler Museum on campus after 4pm for an hour before they close.  Or drive over to Westwood Blvd and Wilshire to enjoy the now-free Hammer Museum to enjoy their collections.

Finally, if you cannot attend this event live, please note that this event will be telecast live!  
Fans not in attendance can watch Sunday’s meet on a live video stream at www.pac-12.com/videos/ucla. Video footage will focus on UCLA as three events are running simultaneously. Live stats will be available atuclabruins.com, and live updates can be found on Twitter by following @UCLAGymnastics.

Arena Map
View the Pauley Pavilion arena map by CLICKING HERE.

Parking
Pauley Pavilion is easily accessible from Lots 4, 7 and 8 ($12 per vehicle). Click HERE for a detailed map of parking structures. The main UCLA campus map with additional parking information is located HERE.

Directions
Directions to a number of on-campus UCLA facilities can be accessed by clicking HERE.

Have a great day watching UCLA women gymnasts compete, at home or at Pauley Pavillion.

UPDATE:   Here's the youtube of the perfect 10 on the beam by Danusia Francis :)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ5rgaVIlM8